Cross Country Sprints Toward Championships
Zoe Vorndran
You may see a herd of men running around the mall in the afternoons, or a group of women darting around campus. The men and women’s cross country teams kicked off their 2016 fall seasons with strong starts, and they continue to improve with every practice and race.
As part of the team, members push each other to do better and support each other in times of need. “We have a great group this year with runners who are dedicate to making the team better and are also very supportive and encouraging to each other,” said junior Ruth Ritchey-Moore.
After an exhilarating meet in Louisville, KY on Saturday, Oct. 1, the cross country teams have a break from competing. Because there are two weeks between their meets, the runners train hard throughout this hiatus.
Their hard work isn’t the only factor leading to the group’s improvement, but Ritchey-Moore reports that several talented first years have added a lot to the team. “The recruitment went well this year and the coaching staff worked really hard to bring a fresh group of first-years to compete with us,” said junior Brenden Schleining. “The teams picked up a decent amount of talent, which gives us a bright future for Manchester University’s cross country program.”
The returning students have contributed to the team efforts as well. “Our top runners on both the women and men’s teams are leading us better than ever,” Schleining said. Currently, the top runners on the men’s team are seniors Alex Gudeman and Connor Bresnahan. On the women’s team, seniors Mariah Jordan and Tiffany Harbor are leading the pack.
To finish the month, Manchester’s cross country teams have two more meets. Tomorrow they will participate in the Oberlin Inter-Regional Rumble hosted by Oberlin College. Their last meet of the month will be on Saturday, Oct. 29 at Hanover College, where they will compete in the HCAC Championships. All of their training and meets are in preparation for their regional meets in November, where they hope to compete in the Great Lakes Regional Championships and then in the Division III Championships.